CONNOR
"Are you sure you're okay? I've never seen you drink this way, dude." Zed looked at me questioningly as I took the fourth shot from the barman.
We were at a pub a little down my house. I had called Zed over to the house, then dragged him to come along with me. It has been twenty- four hours since Kenzie had left my place for Faris' and never for once did she try to call me or as little as pick my calls.
At first, I tried to act like I didn't give a hoot about what she did but now, it was hard to hide the fact that I was mad at her. Furious even. Why was Faris the first person she turned to when she was in distress? She had just met him recently and was ready to throw herself at him. Was she having so much fun at his place that she completely forgot about me?
My insides churned at the thought. Is that how much less value she gave to what we shared? Is that how fast she would get someone else once this contract was over and she was ready to move on?
Never for once had anyone ever made me feel this inferior and insecure.
"Dude." Zed stared on in alarm as I ordered for the fifth shot. "What the fuck is going on?"
I sighed and gulped down the hotness of the drink down my throat. I squeezed my eyes shut as I did so. I felt a little bit tipsy already and I could not remember the last time I had drank this way. A year ago, maybe?
It was all her fault. It was all Kenzie's fault.
"Can I ask you a question, bro?" I could hear how my words were a little slower from the too many shots I had.
"Sure," Zed replied and sipped from the glass of sparkling water that he had ordered.
"Do you think a woman could drive you crazy?" I locked my gaze on him. "Like really crazy."
He stared into his drink as if he was having deep thoughts.
"Perhaps. Things happen, bro."
"What would you do if something of that sort happened to you?"
He scratched the nape of his neck.
"Honestly..., I wouldn't know. I am scared of being in love, bro. But if there ever comes to be someone who could make me go crazy, then I would do either one of these two things..."
He stopped and watched me and I gave him a raised brow that asked him to go on talking.
"Either run away or accept the gift of love."
Love. He called it...love.
Was he right? Was this love?
My phone vibrated, cutting off our conversation. With a sigh, I reached for the phone in the pocket of my pants and slid the receiver, placing the call over my ear.
"Hello," A woman's panicked voice came and I frowned slightly. "Am I on to Connor Meyers?"
"Yes. How may I help you?"
"It's Kenzie."
My body awakened at the mention of her name and I sat upright immediately, my heart snapping at the tone she had spoken with.
"She has been stabbed."
.................
It was all my fault. It was all my fault. Everything was my fault.
I kept saying to myself as I drove to the hospital Kenzie was taken to. Zed was riding beside me and he looked visibly more shaken by the news than I was.
His fist clenched and unclenched, his knuckles almost whitened. I was afraid he would hurt himself too.
The woman that called had added that Kenzie was attacked and had lost a lot of blood. I still could not forgive myself for everything that was happening. Everything she was going through. So, again, I repeated to myself in my head that It was all my fault. If I had done better, this wouldn't have happened. If I had stopped her from leaving, this wouldn't have happened. Kenzie wouldn't have been attacked and stabbed. At this moment, I wished I could take away all the pain she was feeling right now.
As soon as I reached the hospital and parked my car, we immediately rushed into the building and to the receptionist who let us know she was still in the operating room. On hearing this, Zed's face reddened the more and he looked like he was about to break down any moment from now. I put a comforting arm around him and he pushed my hand away, staring death in the eye at me. He looks enraged at...me.
"You promised you were going to look after her!" He was yelling so loud that everyone else's attention was drawn to us.
I took in a deep breath before replying to him.
"I'm sorry. It's all my fault."
His nose flared and he closed the distance between us. His gaze did not break off mine.
"If anything happens to her, I swear to God, I will throw away every respect I have for you and make you suffer. Do you understand me?"
I nodded and swallowed. My insides were shaky and a part of my mind was on Kenzie and how she was doing in the operation room.
"Yea. I understand."
He finally stepped away and paced around the room, his hands running through his hair in worry.
I sighed and walked to the waiting bench, placing my weight on it. I folded my hands to my chin and stared at the floors. If I could switch places with Kenzie right now, I swear I would.
I sat on the waiting bench while Zed paced around restlessly. Careful footsteps strode toward me and I lifted my eyes to see an older woman closing in on me. She stopped just in front of me, her expression pale and sympathetic. I looked beside her and there was another younger lady in short dark hair and I figured she was her daughter.
I also got the feeling that she might have been the woman who had called to tell me about Kenzie.
"Connor Meyers?" She looked at me inquisitively and I simply stared on. "I am the woman who called you about Kenzie."
I sighed again and sat upright.
"Yea. I appreciate you for that. But did you at least get to see her attacker?"
She shook her head and thinned her lips. "No, I did not. Last night, she called to tell me she wanted to come over to my place. So, I stopped at your place to pick her up at mine. She spent the night at my house and left this night when we had a little misunderstanding and My daughter and I tried to find her. We eventually found her unconscious body a few miles away.
My heart broke as she spoke and I felt even shittier. My brain made a quick analysis of what she had just said. She was the one who had come to pick Kenz up at my place that night. Not Faris. Again, it was this woman's place where she had spent the night. Not Faris'. I had been wrong all this while. I have been too judgemental and only ended up messing everything up.
I clenched my fists pathetically at myself. How could I have been so quick to judge?
Again, I ransacked my brain for who the attacker was and who could have possibly wanted her dead and it pointed to no other than Ryan. Ryan Brooks.
That bastard
"Are you a close friend of hers?" I looked at the woman closely now. Somehow, she had the coffee and cream colours of Kenzie's eyes. But then again, Kenzie had l never mentioned a friend to me before and this woman wasn't someone I could remember meeting before.
What if she was even Kenzie's attacker dressed as a friend? I ended the thought immediately in full doubt. Her kind eyes were no killer's eyes. But then again, looks were deceiving and trusting is hard.
"I..." She gulped and struggled to say the words. "I am a friend of hers." She passed a smile on her face and just as I was about to ask her another question, loud resounding footsteps rushed into the premises and we turned our heads to see a deranged Jojo rushing toward us, her face reddened and tear-streaked.
She flew to Zed first, a hand grabbing him by the wrist.
"What happened to Kenz? Where the fuck is my sister?"
"She is in the operation room. She'll be fine." He tried to reach for her hair but she shoved his hand away and turned her eyes to me. The glare in them, burning and accusing.
I braced myself for whatever would come next.
She stormed toward me and I got up from my seat.
"You are supposed to look after her." Her words carried a kind of accusing weight that hurt more than the self-blames I had inflicted on myself.
"I know..."
"It was my fault."
We both looked at the older woman who had glazy eyes now.
"She got attacked on her way back home from my place. I should have dropped her home myself. So, if anyone should be blamed, then it should be me."
Jojo looked at the woman with some kind of curiosity that let me know she had never met her before too.
"Kenzie was at your place last night?"
The woman took a long shaky breath in. "Yes. She..."
"How did you know my sister?" She did not break her gaze off the woman and her daughter. "Jojo never mentioned another friend to me."
"Uh...well," It was the daughter who made it.to talk now but the doctor comes into view from the operation room and I rushed to him, closing the distance between us. Zed, Jojo and the strange women do the same. I stared at the doctor with high expectations, my heart beating against my chest.
She is fine. Kenzie is fine. She is alive.
"The stab caused her to lose a lot of blood but we were, fortunately, able to stop the bleeding on time. Hence, she will be fine." He announced and I sighed visibly. I could see the tension in the others melt away too and the woman's hand flew to her chest. The younger woman hugged her in relief and Zed sighed and ran a hand through his hair again. Jojo broke into a sob.
She is fine. She is safe.
A grateful smile appeared on my face but instantly vanished the moment he added,
"The baby too."
My head snapped and I stared at him again. What did he mean by a baby?
"Is she pregnant?" The woman stared curiously at me and so did Jojo.
The doctor nodded in confirmation. "Yes. She is two weeks pregnant and lucky, the stab and blood loss didn't affect the child. The baby is safe as sound."
I looked on, feeling the words ring repeatedly in her ears. She was pregnant.
For me.
"Uhm...excuse me, doc. I think there is some kind of misunderstanding here." Jojo sniffed back her tears. Disbelief now washed all over her face. "My sister cannot be pregnant."
"Of course she is." He threw a glance at his wristwatch. "Now, if you would all excuse me...I have to attend to some other patient."
I blocked his path immediately, stopping him from walking any further.
"Can we go see her now?"
He shook his head. "Not yet, sir. The patient is in some kind of mild coma. By morning, you would be able to see her."
Having no other better option, I sighed and nodded my head at him, stepping out of the way for him. "Alright. Thanks, doc."
He smiled at me and gave me a supportive pat on the back before walking away.
When I turned back to the group, they were all staring at me. Zed and the woman are in shock and Jojo with so much hate. Even I could not believe what was happening right now.
Was she aware all these while that she was carrying my baby?
